Support for refrigerating apparatus



June 19, 1956 c, WURTZ 2,751,147

SUPPORT FOR REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 20, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Clifford H. Wurfz Attorneys BY 3 MM 04 93.6

June 19, 1956 c. H. WURTZ SUPPORT FOR REFRIGERATING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 20, 1952 INVENTOR. Clifford H. Wurfz Attorneys SUPPORT FQR REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Clifford H. Wurtz, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Micln, a corporation of Delaware Application December 20, 1952, Serial No. 327,073

2 Claims. (Cl. 230-235) This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and particularly to a mounting arrangement for operating units of such apparatus.

It is an object of my invention to provide a simplified rugged mounting for a motor-compressor unit of a refrigerating system in a refrigerator cabinet while at the same time permitting a limited movement of the unit relative to its support.

Another object of my invention is to provide a resilient mounting arrangement for a sealed casing containing a motor and compressor which eliminates the necessity of special or additional shipping hold-down bolts or clamps and is arranged so that the casing may have limited swinging movement in pendulum fashion relative to its support.

A further object of my invention is to mount a sealed casing containing a motor-compressor unit, having a refrigerant precooling or super heat removing conduit connected to and extending from the casing in a given plane, at two equally spaced apart points therearound upon a stationary support for limited swinging movement relative thereto which mounting points are in substantially the same plane with the conduit.

A still further and more specific object of my invention is to provide opposed nonmetallic resilient plastic insulating mounting brackets on a support for a motor-compressor unit and opposed lever-like elements on the unit for connection to the brackets in such a manner as to permit swinging of the unit in pendulum fashion about the brackets and relative to the support for reducing shock and noise when the unit is operated and/ or is stopped.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a fragmentary side elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the invention showing a motorcompressor unit mounted in a refrigerator cabinet;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1 showing opposed mounting brackets supporting the motor-compressor unit at two equally spaced apart points therearound;

Figure 3 is a top view of the unit disclosed in Figure 2 showing a refrigerant conduit connected to the casing housing the unit and lying in the same plane with its mounting points; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3 showing the construction of the unit mounting means.

The present invention relates to an improvement over the disclosure in my copending application S. N. 284,321, filed April 25, 1952, now Patent No. 2,689,464, dated September 21, 1954, entitled Refrigerating Apparatus Mounting Means. The specific type and/or material of the mounting brackets disclosed in this application is generically claimed in my patent. I employ mounting Patented June 19, 1956 brackets of the same material specified for the brackets in my copending application in providing the improved mounting arrangement disclosed and claimed in the present application.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed, reference numeral 10 indicates a machine compartment formed in the lower portion of a refrigerator cabinet 11. Numeral 12 indicates a rigid stationary frame-like support suitably secured to cabinet 11 within the compartment 10 thereof on which there is supported a sealed casing 14 containing an electric motor-compressor unit portion of a closed refrigerating system associated with the cabinet. The closed refrigerating system also includes an evaporator (not shown) utilized to cool the interior of a food storage compartment (not shown) Within the cabinet and a refrigerant condenser 15 interposed in one of the conduits leading from unit 14 to the evaporator. A finned heat exchange conduit 16 has its both ends connected to casing 14 and communicates with the interior thereof. Refrigerant compressed by the compressor within casing 14 is directed out of this casing by way of the lower portion of conduit 16 and flows upwardly therethrough back into the top portion of the casing. This finned conduit 16 provides a super heat removing coil and dissipates heat, generated by compression of the refrigerant in the compressor, to air exteriorly of casing 14 prior to its flow to the condenser 15 wherein the compressed refrigerant is further cooled and liquefied prior to passage thereof to the evaporator in the well known and conventional manner. The use of such super heat removing coil in refrigerating systems is now well known to those skilled in the art and their connection to and movement with a resiliently mounted motor-compressor unit has created numerous problems. The coil 16 must be of light weight and preferably disposed in or lying along the same plane as the resilient mountings for the motor-compressor unit so as to move therewith without becoming loose or broken therefrom.

The hermetically sealed unit, formed by casing 14 for enclosing the motor and compressor, has heat radiating fins 18 welded or otherwise suitably secured in intimate thermal contact therewith. These fins 18, in addition to dissipating heat from unit 14, serve as means for securing mounting clips on casing 14 for supporting the same upon suitable brackets on support 12. As best indicated in Figure 4 of the drawings, one of a pair of L-shaped metal mounting clips 19 are spot-welded to the metallic heat radiating fin 18 on opposite sides of the unit 14. These clips 19 each have a stud 20, provided with a reduced threaded end portion 21, welded thereto. The studs 20 extend upwardly a substantial distance from the clips 19 and form lever-like elements on unit casing 14 for a purpose to be hereinafter more fully described. Resilient mounting brackets are employed for supporting the unit 14 on the stationary frame support 12. Each of these brackets comprise a strap-like nonmetallic member 22 forming vibration insulating means having its lower end resiliently secured to support 12 by a pair of bolts 24 threaded into tapped holes provided in the support. A fiat rubber or rubber-like plate 26 is disposed between bracket members 22 and the side Wall of channel-like support 12. A second rubber or rubber-like plate 27 having integral bushing or grommet portions 28 thereon is placed over bracket members 22 with the bushing por'-' tions 28 thereof surrounding bolts 24 and fitting in suit-' able holes provided in the bracket members. A steel erally toward motor-compressor unit 14 and is provided with a round opening in its horizontal portion for receiving the ends of the lever-like studs 20.

In order to cushionally suspend and attach the leverlike stud elements 20 to the inturned upper end part of bracket members 22 a round meta-l Washer 33 and a round rubber washer 34 are first placed over the reduced end portion 21 of elements 20 and then this end portion thereof is passed through the opening in bracket members 22. Thereafter a round rubber or rubber-like grommet 36 is placed over stud elements 26 to isolate these elements from the brackets. Finally a metal washer 37 and a nut 38 are placed on stud elements 2t). The nut 38 is drawn down to slightly compress the rubber washer 34 and rubber grommet 36. The reduced end portion of studs or lever-like elements 20 being surrounded by rub her at their point of attachment to brackets 2.2. permits a limited swinging movement in pendulum fashion of the unit 14 relative to brackets 22 and support 12.

I have found that very little up-and-down vibrations occur during operation of the motorcompressor unit 14 and that most of the movement thereof is caused by the starting and stopping of moving parts of the unit. That is, when the unit starts operating or its operation stops the motor rotor, motor shaft and compressor eccentric tend to rotate the entire unit or casing 14. This tendency causes the unit 14 to momentarily swing in pendulum fashion throughout a limited distance about the cushioned mounting of the upper end of lever-like elements 29 relative to the brackets 22 after which the rubber washer 34 and grommet 36 are sufficiently compressed to check or stop such swinging movement.

The nonmetallic plastic bracket members 22 have a combination of essential properties including those of strength, heat resistance and sound deadening or insulating vibrations. Bracket members 22 are preferably made of polyester resin, such as polystyrene, and glass fibers since this combination affords the desired properties thereof. Chopped glass fibers can be used although woven glass fibers are preferred. Such fibers ordinarily comprise about 30 to 40% by weight of the bracket members. The polyester resin, which serves primarily as a binder for the glass fibers, may be the reaction product of ethylene glycol with anhydride of maleic acid. The polyester resin may also be compounded with approximately 20% styrene monomer so as to produce a polystyrene resin article. A mounting bracket thus formed possesses the necessary characteristics of added strength, resiliency and sound deadening properties to render them ideal for the purpose of withstanding both the weight of unit 14 and the twisting action imparted thereto by the pendulum-like swinging movement of the lever-like elements 20 and unit 14 to which they are rigidly secured.

The swinging of unit 14 in pendulum fashion tends to tilt this unit from its normal vertical disposition and by securing the ends of finned coil 16 to casing or unit 14, in substantially the same vertical plane with the two-point mounting means, the coil also tilts. The mounting means including the nonmetallic resilient plastic insulating brackets 22 of the present disclosure is sufiiciently strong to buffer, snub or absorb vibrations or jarring shocks during shipment of the refrigerating system within the refrigerator cabinet. By virtue of this, additional hold-down bolts or clamps are not required for use in shipping the refrigerator. Such shipping means are usually thrown away after the refrigerator cabinet is installed thus my improved mounting permits the saving of expense of furnishing the same and the inconvenience of removing them at the point of installation.

It should be apparent from the foregoing that I have provided a simplified and improved resilient mounting arrangement for a motor-compressor unit in a refrigerator cabinet. stantially holds the unit firm in the cabinet and deadens My improved mounting arrangement sub or prevents any noise created thereby from being amplified and transmitted to the cabinet or to the room in which it is located. By suspending the unit for limited pendulumlike swinging movement relative to its support, jars or shocks imparted thereto are absorbed by its mounting means without damaging the same. Thefact that my improved mounting affords a swinging movement of the motor-compressor unit in pendulum fashion permits the attachment to and movement with this unit of a finned or the like super heat removing coil without danger of the coil breaking loose from the unit. By separating the super heat removing coil from the condenser proper and mounting the same out of contact therewith, both this coil and the refrigerating system are rendered more efiicient.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, as may come within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In combination: a support, a unit comprising a sealed casing having a motor and a compressor driven thereby located within said casing and adapted to be started and stopped, means suspendingly mounting said unit at two equally spaced apart points only therearound from said support for limited vibrational movement relative thereto, each of said means including a bracket having its lower end secured to said support and a rigid member fixed to said unit, said rigid member extending outwardly away from said unit and thence upwardly a substantial distance above its fixed point thereto along a side of said casing to form a lever-like element thereon, said bracket extending upwardly from its secured lower end around the fixed point of said lever-like element to said unit and being resiliently clamped to the upper end of said lever-like element, the starting and stopping of said motor and said compressor imparting a rotary force to said casing, and the spacing of said fixed point of said lever-like element below the clamping of said bracket to the upper end thereof together with said two point mounting of said unit causing the rotary force imparted to said casing to be converted into a swinging movement of said unit about said resilient clamp in pendulum fashion throughout a limited are relative to said support.

2. In combination: a support, a unit comprising a sealed casing having a motor and a compressor driven thereby located within said casing and adapted to be started and stopped, means suspendingly mounting said unit at two equally spaced apart points only therearound from said support for limited vibrational movement relative thereto, each of said means including a resilient nonmetallic nonsound transmitting strap-like bracket having its lower end secured to said support and a rigid member fixed to said unit, said rigid member extending outwardly away from said unit and thence upwardly a substantial distance above its fixed point thereto along a side of said casing to form a lever-like element thereon, said strap-like bracket extending upwardly from its secured lower end around the fixed point of said lever-like element to said unit and having its upper end formed laterally with respect to the upwardly extending portion thereof resiliently clamped to the upper end of said lever-like element, the starting and stopping of said motor and said compressor imparting a rotary force to said casing, and the spacing of said fixed point of said lever-like element below the clamping of said bracket to the upper end thereof together with said two point mounting of said unit causing the rotary force imparted to said casing to be converted into a swinging movement of said unit about said resilient clamp in pendulum fashion throughout a limited are relative to said support.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Smith et a1 Apr. 28, 1931 Summers June 9, 1931 Buchanan Dec. 13, 1938- Body et al. Sept. 26, 1939 Sateren Nov. 7, 1939 Smith June 23, 1942 6 Ayers July 27, 1948 Higham Sept. 27, 1949 Hume Apr. 18, 1950 Philipp Jan. 19, 1954 Nadler Aug. 31, 1954 Wurtz Sept. 21, 1954 OTHER REFERENCES Serial No. 337,854, Hintze (A. P. C.), published April Touborg Nov. 28, 1944 10 27, 1943. 

